Device to lift patients

ABSTRACT

A device for rising lifting and moving patients or other persons completely or partly incapable of moving, including a stand with at least four arms at some distance from each other, said arms being provided with turntable holding or supporting elements at their ends and at least the outer arms being further provided with means for moving their respective holding elements further from and nearer to the adjacent elements. Said holding elements are formed as elongated plates with rounded cross-section and the outer arms are preferably divided into two partial arms pivotally connected to each other. All arms may be connected to a common horizontal beam vertically movable with the help of hydraulic cylinders.

United States Patent Edlund 1 May 13, 1975 [54] DEVICE TO LIFT PATIENTS 3,790,974 2/1974 Johansson 5/81 R [76] Inventor: Karl-Johan Edlund, Ohbergsvagen 3 22 00 Mariehamn, Finland Primary ExaminerCasmir A. Nunberg Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Bucknam and Archer [22] Filed: Apr. 30, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 356,041 [57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Applicafionpriority Data A device for rising lifting and moving patients or other persons completely or partly incapable of moving, in- May 3, 1972 Sweden 1216/72 eluding a stand with at least four arms at some tance from each other, said arms being provided with [52] U5. Cl 5/81 R; 5/89; 297/417 turntable holding or Supporting elements at their ends [5 i] hit. Cl. A47b 83/04; A61g H02 and at least the Outer arms b i further provided with [58] Fleld of Search 5/81 R, 86, 87, 89; means for moving h i respective holding elements 214/750; 187/9! 10; 297/417; 280/250 further from and nearer to the adjacent elements. Said holding elements are formed as elongated plates with [56] References Cted rounded cross-section and the outer arms are prefera- UNlTED STATES PATENTS bly divided into two partial arms pivotally connected 2,125,546 8/1938 Corr 5/86 o each other. All arms y be connected a com 2,975,434 3/1961 Butler et a1. 5/86 mon horizontal beam vertically movable with the help 3,356,184 12/1967 Bidgoocl 5/86 X of hydraulic cylinders. 3,629,880 12/1971 Nicolass Van Rhyn 5/86 3,732,584 5/1973 James 5/81 R 8 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTEB HAY 3 ms 3 882 5S5 SHEET 3 BF 3 Z f a y 1 6 If /2 /2 U 4 Q/i/ /3 /3 fi J \L 1 1g A M .w

26 2/ 22 23 24 25 22 IHI XI IHI HH IX IHI IX] iHI N W m H] 1 DEVICE TO LIFT PATIENTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for lifting and rising as well as for transport of persons or hospital patients completely or partly incapable of moving.

2. Description of the Prior Art Such devices are known in which the patient must first be lifted or rolled over on a carrying device which is not so practical. For certain other known lifting devices is characteristic that there is used as holding means some kind of band or belt fastened with ropes. The swinging movement which is hereat easily induced has a disturbing effect upon the patient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a lifting device of the character once described, comprising a rack preferably movable on wheels, at least four arms arranged essentially in a row and at some distance from each other, holding elements, in the form of slightly bent elongated plates with suitable rounded cross-sections, turnably journalled at one end of said arms and aimed to be able to be pushed in under the patient with the flat side against the patient and during a possible simultaneous turning movement, means provided at least at the outer arms for moving their respective holding elements further from and nearer to the adjacent holding elements.

The lifting device according to the present invention aims at imitating the natural grasp which one or several nurses may apply to a patient by pushing hands or arms under the patient into the free space formed between the patients body and the base at the neck part, under the sway in the back, under the seat and under the extremities. The intention is to be able to lift and move a patient in laying position, to lift the patient into sitting position and to grasp and lift the patient in and out of e. g. a bathtube. Further the aim is that the lifting equipment shall not hinder the access to the patients anal orifice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows an endview of a device according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the same device;

FIG. 3 shows a horizontal view of this device;

FIG. 4 shows use of the device when lifting a patient out of a bathtub;

F IG. 5 shows the patient in a laying position;

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 show the patient in different sitting positions;

FIG. 9 shows a scheme over a hydraulic system for accomplishing the different movements; and

FIGS. 10a and 10b shows schematically a joint embodied as a hydraulic rotator.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to the figures mentioned the construction and manner of operation of the device are described in the following:

For the lifting of the patient the device has four convexly bent plates 1, 2, 3 and 4 formed so that, at a simultaneous turning from below upwards, they can be pushed under the patient (track a, b). Two, the middle ones 1, 2 of them are meant to be placed under the patients seat part (0, FIG. 5) while one of the outer plates 4 is placed under the neck or shoulder part (d, FIG. 5) and the other of the outer plates 3 is placed under e.g. the patients hollow of the knee (e, FIG. 5). The turning movement of the plates is brought about by rotators 5 affected by oilpressure and of a construction (FIG. 10) known as such. Even other joint knots such as ones driven by electric motors or pneumatic ones can, of course, be thought of.

The middle plates 1, 2 are joined by means of fixed arms 6 to a beam 7 onto which also the other, outer plates 3, 4 are joined by means of flexible arms 8, 9, l0, 11. The said beam 7 can be lifted and lowered under the effect of one or several pistons 12 (FIG. 9) in hydraulic cylinders 13. The arm 8 is tumable (track h) in relation to arm 9 by means of a rotator 14 and arm 9 in its turn is turnable (track f) in relation to beam 7 by means of a rotator 15. Arm 10 is pivoted (track k) in relation to arm 11 by means of a rotator 16 and arm 11 is in its turn tumable (track 3) in relation to beam 7 by means of a rotator 17. The arm system 8, 9 and 10, 11 is tumable in one plane placed almost parallel with the vertical plane in the patients longitudinal direction so that the arms, when the rotator 15 is turned clockwise and the rotator l7 turned counter-clockwise (seen from the patients place) are able to take a position behind arms 6. I-Iereat the arm 9 is turned along track f and arm 11 moves along track g. The arm 10 can also be displaceable sideways in a casing on beam 7, as shown in FIG. 3. Likewise, it can be thought an outer arm to be telescopic and provided with joints at its upper end.

The plates 1, 2, 3, 4 are fastened to interlinked rotators 5 on a pin 18 so that they may easily be set in a position comfortable for the patient by turning this pin around when the weight of the patients body affects the plates.

A plate 19 may be applied between the arms 6las support for the back of the patient at certain sitting positions (FIG. 2, 6).

The movement of the rotators and pistons is effected by actuating control valves 20-27, FIG. 9, in a hydraulic system, in which the pressure is obtained e.g. from a hydraulic accumulator 28 charged by means of a hand or foot pump 29. Such an embodiment may also be contemplated wherein the pump 29 is driven by an electric motor and or the control valves 20-27 are controlled electro-magnetically. In the latter case controlling by the patient himself shall also be possible by using a system known as such with finger switches, blowing switches or suction and blowing switches.

The hydraulic system, the cylinders and the supporting beam 7 are suitably enclosed in casing 30 provided with wheels 31 in its lower part and further provided with wheelsupporting bars 33 directed outwards under the lifting plates 1-4. These bars may be turned, when required, in the horizontal plane inwards towards the centre (track 2) of the rack casing 30.

FIG. 10a shows in principle a cross section of a hydraulic rotator known in itself, which rotator can well be used in joint sections, and FIG. 10b shows another section of the rotator when this has been fastened into two arms thus pivotally connected in relation to each others.

From the foregoing description, it can be appreciated by the artisan that the invention provides a lifting device which is useful for handling patients but which can be applied to other objects inanimate as well as animate. Basically, the lifting device of the invention has a portable base means (elements 30, 31, 32, 33, and beam 7) and a plurality of adjustable arm units supported by the base means and disposed to engage and thereby support the object to be lifted. In the particular embodiment of the invention exemplified in the drawings, there are four adjustable arm units each of which has a holding element 1, 2, 3, and 4 disposed for supportive contact with the object or patient. At least one, and in this particular embodiment two of the arm units are double-section arm units each having an inner arm section 9, 11, supported at one end from beam 7 of the base means for pivotal movement relative thereto about a first axis, as shown by the paths g and f. To the inner arm sections 9, 11 are pivotally connected respective outer arm sections 8 and 10 and these each are moveable about a second axis as exemplified by the paths h and k. The holding elements 1, 2, 3, and 4 extend in cantilevered relationship from their respective arm units and are pivotally connected thereto by the hydraulically powered rotator device 5.

Although certain variations of the invention can be made, at least one of the arm units, in this case the two double-section arm units, have pivot connection means 14, 16 and 17 accommodating adjustment of the position of the holding element 3, 4, of that arm unit by independent horizontal and vertical movements.

For ease in operation, there is provided fluid powered means including valves 20-27 and fluid operated rotary connectors 5, 14, 15, 16, and 17 that are operable to adjust the positions of the holding elements 1, 2, 3 and 4 as can be seen from FIG 9. There is further provided fluid powered means including the piston and cylinder combinations 12 and 13 associated with the base means and operable to adjust the position of the beam 7.

What is claimed is:

1. A lifting device which comprises a portable base means and a plurality of motorized adjustable arm units supported by said base means and disposed to engage and thereby support the object to be lifted, said arm units each having a holding element disposed for supportive contact with said object, at least one of said arm units having motorized pivot connection means moveable with the arm unit and accommodating adjustment of the position of the holding element of that arm unit by independent horizontal and vertical movements.

2. A lifting device according to claim 1 wherein said base means includes a moveable beam and said, arm.

units are connected to said beam in spaced-apart relation therealong for movement therewith.

3. A lifting device according to claim 1 including a i double-section arm unit having an inner arm section supported at one end from said base means for pivotal movement relative thereto about a first axis, and an outer arm section pivotally connected at one end to said inner arm section for pivotal movement about a.

second axis. j

4. A lifting device according toclaim 1 wherein said holding elements extend in a cantilevered relationship.

from their respective arm units and are pivotally connected thereto.

5. A lifting device according to claim 1 including 7 fluid powered motorized pivot connection means associated with said arm units and operable to adjust the positions of said holding elements. t

6. A lifting device which comprises a portable base means and a plurality of adjustable arm units supported I by said base means and disposed to engage and thereby I nected to a corresponding end portion of said moveable beam, and an outer arm section pivotally connected to said inner arm section, said double-section arm units being adjustable independently of each other. 7. A lifting device according to claim 6 including at least one arm unit connected to said beam at a location thereon between said double-section arm units. 7

8. A lifting device according to claim 6 including fluid powered means associated'with said base means I V and operable to adjust the position of said 

1. A lifting device which comprises a portable base means and a plurality of motorized adjustable arm units supported by said base means and disposed to engage and thereby support the object to be lifted, said arm units each having a holding element disposed for supportive contact with said object, at least one of said arm units having motorized pivot connection means moveable with the arm unit and accommodating adjustment of the position of the holding element of that arm unit by independent horizontal and vertical movements.
 2. A lifting device according to claim 1 wherein said base means includes a moveable beam and said arm units are connected to said beam in spaced-apart relation therealong for movement therewith.
 3. A lifting device according to claim 1 including a double-section arm unit having an inner arm section supported at one end from said base means for pivotal movement relative thereto about a first axis, and an outer arm section pivotally connected at one end to said inner arm section for pivotal movement about a second axis.
 4. A lifting device according to claim 1 wherein said holding elements extend in a cantilevered relationship from their respective arm units and are pivotally connected thereto.
 5. A lifting device according to claim 1 including fluid powered motorized pivot connection means associated with said arm units and operable to adjust the positions of said holding elements.
 6. A lifting device which comprises a portable base means and a plurality of adjustable arm units supported by said base means and disposed to engage and thereby support the object to be lifted, said arm units each having a holding element disposed for supportive contact with said object, at least one of said arms having pivot connection means accommodating adjustment of the position of the holding element of that arm unit by independent horizontal and vertical movements, said base means including a moveable beam and said arm units being connected to said beam in spaced-apart relation therealong for movement therewith, said plurality of arm units including a pair of double-section arm units each having an iNner arm section pivotally connected to a corresponding end portion of said moveable beam, and an outer arm section pivotally connected to said inner arm section, said double-section arm units being adjustable independently of each other.
 7. A lifting device according to claim 6 including at least one arm unit connected to said beam at a location thereon between said double-section arm units.
 8. A lifting device according to claim 6 including fluid powered means associated with said base means and operable to adjust the position of said beam. 